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California Chrome Owner: Belmont Winner Took 'Coward's Way Out'
Breitbart News ^ | June 7, 2014 | Breitbart California

Posted on 06/07/2014 9:33:46 PM PDT by This Just In

On Saturday, after California Chrome lost his chance to become horse racing's first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978, co-owner Steve Coburn went off during a post-race interview, saying it's a "coward's way out" for owners to only run their horses in one of the three Triple Crown races.

(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...


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To: kvanbrunt2

Secretariat, greatest horse ever...


61 posted on 06/07/2014 11:46:17 PM PDT by Pelham (If you do not deport it is amnesty by default.)
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To: This Just In

Bull crap, he was injured out of the gate. He would have won it of not for that.


62 posted on 06/08/2014 12:02:00 AM PDT by Axenolith (Government blows, and that which governs least, blows least...)
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To: yadent

Missed pot of gold?!?! He’s up something like 4 million on the first two races and the horses stud book is full. He’s going to make bank there, and you can bet your a** that there will be a “Seabiscuit II” type feel good movie that probably rakes him more than the whole race career.


63 posted on 06/08/2014 12:04:56 AM PDT by Axenolith (Government blows, and that which governs least, blows least...)
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To: This Just In

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/horseracing/2014/06/07/california-chrome-sustains-gash-to-foot/10188807/

California Chrome sustained a foot injury during the race.


64 posted on 06/08/2014 12:10:09 AM PDT by ltc8k6
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To: dfwgator

Well said!

Besides, won’t he make a lot of money now from stud fees ?


65 posted on 06/08/2014 12:16:11 AM PDT by Gefn (More cowbell)
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To: Axenolith

He didn’t win, and as far as the outcome without the injury; we’ll never know.


66 posted on 06/08/2014 12:24:14 AM PDT by This Just In
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To: This Just In

I just listened to the owner being questioned afterwards too, and MAN, people on here are going off into hyperbolic space over it. He gave his opinion, and it wasn’t all ranty, a tiny bit of emotion at the end but sheesh, from reading the thread you’d have thought he was going all dervish over it...


67 posted on 06/08/2014 12:28:46 AM PDT by Axenolith (Government blows, and that which governs least, blows least...)
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To: Axenolith

Pardon me, but judging by all of your comments, you seem to be the one that’s being a little touchy.

I pointed out that Mr. Coburn’s comment was undignified. After all, he accused the winning owner of being a coward. It’s rather amusing to see you appear on this thread-stomping your feet and going on about Mr. Coburn’s non-ranty, “tiny bit emotion” comment while frying other Freepers for simply expressing their own opinion.


68 posted on 06/08/2014 12:47:56 AM PDT by This Just In
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To: This Just In

Secretariat won the KY Derby and Preakness in record times and went on to win the Belmont by 21 lengths. When you talk about great horses you think of War Admiral, Seabisquit, Citation and then the greatest of them all...Secretariat.


69 posted on 06/08/2014 12:53:35 AM PDT by Old Retired Army Guy
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To: Old Retired Army Guy

As a couple of Freepers pointed out moments ago, it appears that the horse may have sustained an injury during the race. Whether or not California Chrome would’ve won the race is a mystery we’ll never know the answer to. Although, any future races will tell us more about this horse.


70 posted on 06/08/2014 1:04:58 AM PDT by This Just In
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To: 21twelve
It seemed that in the 70’s there was a new triple crown winner every few years. And now it has been 38 or something.

There were 3 Triple Crown winners in the 1970’s: Secretariat ’73; Seattle Slew ’77 and Affirmed ’78. Before that the last one was Citation ’48 along with 3 others in the 40’s and 3 in the 30’s. There was an 11 year gap between the 1st in 1919, Sir Barton and the next in 1930, Gallant Fox.

There was a 25 year gap between Citation and Secretariat; it’s been 36 years since Affirmed won in 1978.

http://www.horseracingnation.com/content/triple_crown_winners#

This breaks down the TC winners of the 70’s and the near misses since.

http://www.cbssports.com/general/eye-on-sports/24583100/recent-triple-crown-winners-and-near-misses

So there's that. Three of the horses that foiled Triple Crown bids ran in both the Derby and the Preakness, while four ran in either the Derby or the Preakness, and three ran in neither.

In short, Coburn's argument is flimsy. While there have been instances of horses being held out of the Preakness to run in the Belmont, it's hardly the norm, nor does it seem to be a case of targeting, as Coburn suggested.

So let's wrap it up: Is it hard to win the Triple Crown? Yes. Is it impossible? No.

71 posted on 06/08/2014 1:44:05 AM PDT by MD Expat in PA
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To: Nepeta
Thanks for that insight. Interesting.

I found this interview with Secretariat’s owner Penny Chenery and jockey Ron Turcotte and training before the Belmont:

http://therail.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/08/reliving-secretariats-magical-ride-40-years-later/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

Q. How was Secretariat training leading to the race?

CHENERY The trainer had the choice of easing up on him because he had two hard races, or intensifying the training. Feeling that he was at a stage in his training where he could only get stronger, he chose to put the screws to him and train him hard. He was able to live up to the pressure and get stronger. Secretariat was a very intelligent horse, and he understood the training program and realized that he was being asked to do more and more, and he chose to ask more of himself.

Q. Will there ever be another Triple Crown winner?

CHENERY There could well be, but I think it will take an extraordinary horse because in today’s racing programs, we don’t race them so often. Today, you tend to race a horse maybe once every six weeks. We just aren’t training them to be under that much pressure.

72 posted on 06/08/2014 2:00:58 AM PDT by MD Expat in PA
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To: Aria
CC can retire to a life of stud fees and green pasture.

The grass aint so green when gelded!!

73 posted on 06/08/2014 4:51:08 AM PDT by mcmuffin (Freedom's On The March - Wave Goodbye!)
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To: This Just In

74 posted on 06/08/2014 4:54:24 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Rat Party Policy:Lie,Deny,Refuse To Comply)
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To: This Just In

There are millions of kids who have nothing to eat right here in our own country. Moooooooooooochelle cut their calories in the only meals those kids got per day, now that they are out of school where is the next meal coming from? And we all get excited about some damn horse race????????


75 posted on 06/08/2014 5:09:36 AM PDT by DaveA37
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To: Aria

It is a beautiful horse. He injured himself in the foot at the starting gate. That’s bad luck and I hope he doesn’t have to be put down.


76 posted on 06/08/2014 5:18:14 AM PDT by miss marmelstein (Richard Lives Yet!)
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To: Pelham

I was ten feet from Secretariat after he won the Derby. All I can remember about that was how big he was. Never saw a horse so big


77 posted on 06/08/2014 5:23:44 AM PDT by ncpatriot
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To: This Just In

I don’t get this guy’s point at all. What makes the Triple Crown so elusive (and therefore such an achievement) is precisely that a single horse enters all three races and wins them all DESPITE having the disadvantage of racing all three races.


78 posted on 06/08/2014 5:35:45 AM PDT by dinoparty
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To: Nepeta

Thanks for the detailed post. Very informative. That said, CC was fairly close to the lead the entire race, and apparently well-positioned, according to his jockey. But, lending credence to your assertion of poor training, CC in the backstretch was unable to go into high gear.


79 posted on 06/08/2014 5:36:05 AM PDT by BlueStateRightist (Government is best which governs least.)
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To: This Just In
You can’t compare a ball game to a horse race. A horse race is a race. A ball game is a sport in which teams are playing at bats and on the field through 9 or more innings. You have 9 players on the field. The object of the game is to out-pitch, out-bat, outperform and outscore the opposing team.

Most sports have variations on this. For instance, in baseball, a team that has to play a seven game playoff against a weak opponent will not be able to start the World Series with its ace pitcher against the team that drew a weak opponent beaten in four games.

The top two division winners per conference in the NFL get a bye week, even if the next game is against a wild card team with a better record.

Basketball and hockey both have long playoff seasons where teams playing seven games have to play teams that have been waiting after a 4-0 run against a weak opponent.

Oh, and should Man O'War been disqualified from the Belmont Stakes? He skipped the Derby itself.

80 posted on 06/08/2014 5:46:51 AM PDT by Dr. Sivana (“If you’re litigating against nuns, you’ve probably done something wrong.”-Ted Cruz)
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